Puente de Boyacá

The Boyaca Bridge

File:Bolivar Monument Boyaca Bridge.JPG

Von Miller monument

File:Rio boyaca.jpg

Teatinos river

Puente de Boyacá (in English: The Bridge of Boyacá) is a small bridge located at the Bogota-Tunja highway, 110 km east of Bogotá and 14 km west from Tunja in a valley, crossing Teatinos river. Numerous monuments have been erected in the surroundings to commemorate the historic battle of August 7, 1819 known as the Battle of Boyacá which granted independence to Colombia.

The bridge was built in the early 18th century, and was dedicated as National Monument and memorial of independence in 1920.

Commemorative monuments

Near to the bridge are located the following secondary monuments:

• The Von Miller monument, depicting five allegoric female figures (Symbolic of Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia) holding Simón Bolívar.
• The Francisco de Paula Santander statue.
• The Triumphal Arch, depicting the three main races (caucasian, African and native American) that combined into the Colombian ethnic mix.
• The Flags Square, with The Liberty Fire; a perpetual gas-ignited flame.
• The chapel, with four daily masses.

References

• (Spanish) http://www.tunja.gov.co/?idcategoria=3010